Fastening apparatus for a motor vehicle rearview mirror

ABSTRACT

A fastening apparatus for a rearview mirror for a motor vehicle, especially an outside mirror, with a base plate mounted on the vehicle body and one mirror support structure holding a mirror housing, which support structure is connectable with the base plate by at least one fastening element. Between the base plate and the mirror support structure a holding apparatus is inserted, which affixes the mirror support structure against the base plate without the interaction of at least one fastening element.

[0001] The invention concerns a fastening apparatus for a motor vehicle rearview mirror, in particular, an outside mirror, in accord with the generic concept of claim 1.

[0002] Rearview mirrors have been customarily fastened on the body of a vehicle in such a manner that a base plate and a mirror support structure for a mirror housing were provided, which said mirror support structure was connectable to the base plate by, at least, a fastening element. The base plate, in turn, was then affixed onto a body part of the vehicle. The fastening of the base plate onto the body part was done, as a rule, by one or more threaded bolts and the connection between the base plate and the mirror support structure was conventionally carried out in that at least one fastening element was, likewise, a threaded bolt.

[0003] In the case of the fastening of motor vehicle rearview mirrors, particularly those of large dimensioning, for example for trucks or omnibuses, the problem arises, that because of the said large dimensioning and the considerable relative weight, rearview mirrors of this type could not be fastened on to a vehicle by one person.

[0004] It became customary for rearview mirrors of this kind, constructed of large size, to require two person for the mounting. In doing this, one person would hold the mirror and align it with the vehicle fastening borings and the like, while the other person carried out the actual fastening procedure by the turning of one or more threaded bolts.

[0005] This procedure is very personnel intensive and thus expensive and requires, that the two persons who make up the mounting team, are well adapted to work in cooperation.

[0006] In contrast to this, the present invention takes on the purpose of designing a fastening apparatus for a motor vehicle rearview mirror, so that the rearview mirror, during the mounting, can be secured to the motor vehicle body in a rapid and fatigue free manner by a single person.

[0007] For the achievement of this purpose, the present invention proposes, in accord with claim 1, that between the base plate and the mirror support structure, a holding apparatus be interposed, which reliably positions a mirror support structure against the base plate without action of even one fastening element with which the mirror support structure and the base plate would normally be affixed to one another.

[0008] By the object of the present invention, there is placed in the hands of the person engaged in the mounting of the rearview mirror, such an assisting means that this one person alone can carry out the installation. To begin with, the rearview mirror is securely located by means of the holding apparatus at the point of installation. This point is the location on the vehicle body intended for the reception of the said mirror. The method and the arrangement of the holding apparatus are of such design, that the rearview mirror, now so located, is held on the body part and without the involvement of any fastening elements such as, threaded bolts. At this point, the person making the installation, after the secure locating of the rearview mirror by the holding apparatus, again has both hands free for the final steps of the installation. These steps may be, for instance, the insertion and tightening up of the threaded bolt securement or the like. The second person, who previously held the rearview mirror during the fastening procedure on the body part, can now be assigned elsewhere. That is to say, this second person is now free for additional tasks, for instance for the simultaneous mounting of a second rearview mirror on the other side of the vehicle, so that the installation time can be reduced.

[0009] Advantageously, the holding apparatus secures the rearview mirror by shape locking, against the base plate. Shape locking connections are simple in construction, however, reliable in use and permit a quick manual installation of the rearview mirror, that is to say, of the support structure of said mirror, onto the base plate.

[0010] Advantageously, the holding apparatus installed on the base plate exhibits a vertically protruding flange section, on which the mirror support structure may be hung. Just as easily, in reverse, the support structure of the mirror assembly can possess the same holding apparatus with said flange protruding therefrom, which can then be hung from the base plate. In both of these embodiments, it is assured, that the mirror support structure can be affixed quickly and reliably onto the base plate by means of a simple hanging procedure.

[0011] In an advantageous embodiment, the holding apparatus is comprised of a hollow, cylindrical body with the said flange section radially protruding therefrom, wherein the mirror support structure possesses a receiving opening in which the said body of holding apparatus can be received and which opening has a cutout for the secure positioning of said flange. This design makes available a simple embodiment of the holding apparatus which is reliable in use.

[0012] In a reverse embodiment, the holding body is comprised of a hollow cylindrical body and again a flange radially protrudes therefrom, wherein now the base plate possesses a receiving opening, in which the body of the holding apparatus can be received and which possesses a cutout for the secure positioning of the said flange.

[0013] If, in this matter, the flange on the holding apparatus and the cutout are limited to less than 180° in their circumferential extent, then there arises an automatic shape-locking facility between the mirror support structure and the base plate. This allows the person who is installing the rearview mirror, after successful securement of the rearview mirror, by means of the flange and the receptacle opening, to be assured that additional fastening elements present in the mirror support structure and in the base fastening borings are aligned with one another for the insertion of corresponding fastening elements.

[0014] In a further advantageous embodiment, the base plate can exhibit a tapped boring, by means of which the hollow, cylindrical body of the holding apparatus is so arranged, that its longitudinal center axis aligns with that of the tapped boring.

[0015] With this arrangement, the mirror support structure possesses a through opening, the longitudinal axis of which aligns with that of the holding apparatus and said tapped boring of the base plate. Thus, in an advantageous way, the through boring in the hollow cylindrical body of the holding apparatus serves for the insertion of a fastening element which penetrates the opening in the mirror support structure and can be threadedly engaged into the tapped boring of the base plate.

[0016] In a further embodiment, the holding apparatus can possess an external thread, which is engageable is a corresponding inner threading either on the base plate or on the mirror support structure. Further, then the holding apparatus possesses in its inner through boring an internal thread, which then serves to receive a fastening element, with which base plate and mirror support structure are connectable with one another.

[0017] Further details, aspects and advantages of the present invention arise from the following descriptions which are accompanied by the drawing.

[0018] There is shown in:

[0019]FIG. 1 a partially exploded, perspective presentation of a fastening apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present invention and

[0020]FIG. 2 an enlarged, vertical section relative to FIG. 1, through the mirror support structure, base plate and hollow, cylindrical body of the holding apparatus in the mounted condition.

[0021] In the following description, which makes reference to the drawing, an embodiment is presented, in which the holding apparatus for preliminary, or temporary fastening of the base plate and the mirror support structure is arranged or can be arranged with respect to the said base plate. However, it is self evident that a kinematic, i.e. a constructive reversal is likewise possible, in which the holding apparatus is arranged on the mirror support structure.

[0022] The following explanatory descriptions, in view of technical features and the advantages with arise from them, are applicable to the arrangement possibilities of both embodiments.

[0023] In accord with FIG. 1, a fastening apparatus, which is given the overall general designation of 2, includes essentially a vehicle or body side base plate 4 as well as a mirror support structure 6. The base plate 4 is, in the presented embodiment, constructed as a hinge in the conventional manner, with a first hinge element 8 and a second hinge element 10, which are rotatably or pivotally connected with one another by pivot connection 12. The first hinge element 8 can be fastened on the vehicle body and exhibits, in this case, a plurality of through borings 14, which serve as receptacles for corresponding fastening means, for instance, threaded bolts or the like. The second hinge element 10 carries, in the presented embodiment, first, the mirror support structure 6 and second, there is also affixed on this second hinge element 10, the door of the motor vehicle. As is conventionally known in the case of trucks, upon the opening or closing of the door, which is carried on the second hinge element 10 of the vehicle, the mirror support structure 6 pivots along with it.

[0024] The mirror support structure 6 carries, conventionally, a support element 16 on which a mirror housing is carried, which is not shown in FIG. 1.

[0025] The fastening of the base plate 4 to the mirror support structure 6 is done by means of a plurality of fastening elements. These are, for instance, threaded bolts, which, referring to FIG. 1, penetrate the installed, borings 18 to the rear side of the second hinge element 10 and engage in corresponding tapped borings in a holding section 20 of the mirror support structure 6. Furthermore, the holding section 20 has a boring 22, which, in a correctly mounted mirror support structure, is in alignment with a boring 24. Boring 24, is designed to be in the second hinge element 10 between the two borings 18. Boring 22 serves for the reception of a further fastening element, for instance a threaded bolt, which said bolt enters from the outer side of the holding section 20 and proceeds into boring 24 to engage tapped threads therein.

[0026] In accord with FIG. 2, the through-boring 22 in the holding section 20, that is, the mirror support structure 6, is not of the same diameter, i.e. cross-section throughout its entire length. After a relatively short section 26 of small diameter, the through-boring 22 widens itself in a section 28 of greater diameter, which is eccentrically arranged according to the dotted line depicting the longitudinal axis of the section 26.

[0027] Further, in accord with FIGS. 1 and 2, above the through-boring 22 a cutout 30 is made in the material of the holding section 20, which extends itself over the longitudinal length of the section 26 with the small diameter and—in the manner as seen in FIG. 2—goes beyond to form a connection with the interior of the section 28 of greater diameter. The cutout 30 can be, for instance, rectangular in shape as is evident from FIG. 1.

[0028] Between the base plate 4 and the mirror support structure 6, that is, between the second hinge element 10 and the holding section 20, a holding apparatus 32 is in place. This holding apparatus 32 is comprised essentially of an assembly 34 with a hollow cylindrical body 36 and a flange 38 radially protruding from the end. The cylindrical body 36 and the flange 38 are preferably of one piece construction. However, they can also be two separate components placed together, for example, welded together. In the longitudinal direction the body 36 of the assembly 34 is penetrated by through-boring 40.

[0029] The flange 38 extends itself in a radial direction upward, not on all sides nor entirely around the circumference from the body 36, but is so limited in the circumferential extension, that its said circumferential extension lies less than 180°. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the flange 38 has an essentially rectangular shape, wherein the breadth of the flange 38 corresponds to the breadth of the cutout 30, that is, of course, somewhat smaller than said cutout 30.

[0030] The end of the body 36, remote from the flange 38, is so affixed on the second hinge element 10, that the longitudinal center axis of the boring 24 and the longitudinal center axis of the boring 40 are in alignment. Thus the cylindrical body 36 of the assembly 34, in the area of the boring 24 can be welded on to the second hinge element 10.

[0031] Further fastening possibilities for the body 36 in the area of the boring 24 could be a press fit in a correspondingly dimensioned receiving opening or the one piece design of hinge element 10 and the body 36, that is, in the form of a plastic-injection molding piece or an aluminum precision-casting part.

[0032] A further possibility for carrying this out would be to install on the outer circumference of the cylinder 36 a threading which would engage an inner thread in a corresponding boring in the hinge element 10 so that the cylinder 36 of the holding apparatus 32 could be screwed into the hinge element 10.

[0033] In each case, the fastening of the assembly 34 on the base plate 4, is such that after completed connection, or construction of the assembly 34, the flange 38 extends upward.

[0034] As already mentioned, a design reversal is possible, in which the assembly 34 is fastened to the holding section 20 in the mirror support structure 6.

[0035] The section 28 of large diameter and the cutout 30 in the holding section 20, form together a receptacle opening for receiving the assembly 34. The eccentricity of the larger diameter of the section 28 relative to the penetrative boring 22 is, in this case, of such a kind that the flange 38 on the assembly 34 can be inserted into the large diameter of the section 28, until the flange 38 on the front side of the assembly 34 springs radially forward to strike an inner wall 42 of the section 28, as may be seen in FIG. 2. A dropping down of the mirror support structure 6, that is, the holding section 20, in relation to the base plate 4, that is, the second hinge element 10 which is present, so acts, that the flange 38 in the manner obvious from FIG. 2, enters and the holding section 20 sits upon an upper circumferential, partial section of the cylindrical body 36 of the assembly 34.

[0036] The cutout 30 forms, at the same time, together with the large diameter of section 28 a recess 44, which is gripped from the rear by the flange 38, so that the holding section 20 and therewith the entire mirror support structure 6 is firmly fastened onto the second hinge element 10 and the base plate 4 without possibility of withdrawal.

[0037] Because of the essentially rectangular formation of the flange 38, which only passes into the cutout 30 with very little play, the fastening of the holding section 20 on the second hinge 10 is, moreover, safe from rotation..

[0038] As is best exemplified in FIG. 2, the dimensions of the boring in section 28 of large diameter, the size of the body 36, of the flange 38 and of the cutout 30, are so selected that in the end position wherein the holding section 20 seats upon the assembly 34, that is, on the hollow cylindrical body 36, alignment is thereby obtained, so that the longitudinal axis of the penetrative boring 22, the axis of the boring 40 in the assembly 36 and the flange 38, and the axis of the boring 24 in the second hinge element 10 all coincide.

[0039] For the mounting of the rearview mirror, then the person obliged to carry out the mounting, must therefore principally slide the mirror support structure 6 onto the assembly 34 which is projecting from the second hinge element 10. For this purpose, the assembly 34 is pushed into large diameter opening 28 of the holding section 20. Subsequently, as soon as the impact against the inner wall 42 by the front wall of body 36 occurs, then the mirror support structure 6 may be released from the said person's grip. The holding section 20 slides because of gravity downward, so that the flange 38 engages itself within the recess 44 and a tight insert comes about. As soon as the flange 38 has engaged within the recess 44, then, in accord with FIG. 2, the holding section 20 is fixed in position on the second hinge element 10, being neither withdrawable nor rotatable. In this position, the corresponding longitudinal axes of the boring 22, the boring 40 and the boring 24 are essentially aligned.

[0040] If the position in accord with FIG. 2 has been achieved, then the holding section 20 and along with it, the mirror support structure 6, without further auxiliary aids, are held on the base plate 4. In connection therewith, through the borings 22 and 40, a fastening element, for instance, a threaded bolt or the like is inserted and screwed into the area of the boring 24. This now permits that the holding section 20 be pulled up against the second hinge element 10. Subsequently, coming out from the rear side of the second hinge element 10 and through the borings 18, are further inserted fastening elements, again for example, threaded bolts which are screwed into corresponding tapped borings.

[0041] Because of measures to prevent turning of the holding section 20, due to the tight fit between the flange 38 and the cutout 30, the borings on the second hinge element 10 are in alignment with the corresponding opposite borings or tapped borings in the holding section 20, so that the further bolt work can be carried out quickly and without further helping aids or without a second helping person.

[0042] By means of the object of the present invention, thus a single person is enabled to install even large, heavy and bulky motor vehicle rearview mirrors, such as are customary for trucks or omnibuses. Further the said person can perform this mounting work alone without support by a second helper, since during the installation of the first fastening element, for instance, a threaded bolt, through the boring 22 of the holding section 20, which is to say, the mirror support structure 6 does not have to be pressed and held by hand against the second hinge element 10, that is, the thereto connected base plate 4. A simple hanging of the holding section 20 on the assembly 34 of the holding apparatus 32 suffices to secure the holding section 20 and therewith the mirror support structure 6 onto the base plate 4. For subsequent manipulations, for instance for the turning of a threaded bolt through the boring 22 in the holding section 20, the person doing the mounting again has both hands free.

[0043] If, in reverse, the holding apparatus 32 with the assembly 34 is placed on the holding section 20 and finds itself an equivalent of the greater diameter of the boring of the holding section 20 and the cutout 30, but now in the base plate 4, then, essentially, the same procedure would be carried through and the same advantages as described above would be obtained.

[0044] In a modification—as already mentioned above—the outer circumferential surface of the body 36 can be provided with a threading, by which the said body 36 can engage with a corresponding inner threading on a boring in the second hinge element 10 and so be thereto affixed.

[0045] Preferably, in the interior of the penetrative boring 40, an inner threading is made, which can be brought into engagement with a screw bolt, or the like, which would be inserted from the through boring 22 in holding section 20.

[0046] It is to be understood as self explanatory, that in the framework of the present invention, further modifications or alterations are possible, without deviating from the basic concepts of this present invention. In this way, the shaping of the flange 38 need not be limited to the presented rectangular shape, but there are also other deviating shapings possible, such as, for instance semi-circular shapes or the like. Essentially it is only that the shaping of the flange 38 and the cutout 30 prevents the holding section 20, after it has been hung on the flange, from pivoting about the longitudinal center axis of the assembly 34. Furthermore, it might be considered, that especially large rearview mirrors might use two or even more assemblies 34. In the use of two or more assemblies 34, then the non-rotatable grip between flange 38 and the holding section 20 would not be unconditionally required. 

Claimed is:
 1. A fastening apparatus for a rearview mirror for a motor vehicle, especially an outside mirror, with a vehicle placed base plate (4) mounted on said vehicle body and one mirror support structure (6) holding a mirror housing, which support structure (6) is connectable with the base plate (4) by means of at least one fastening element, therein characterized, in that between the base plate (4) and the mirror support structure (6) a holding apparatus (32) is inserted, which affixes the mirror support structure (6) against the base plate (4) without the interaction of at least one fastening element.
 2. A fastening apparatus in accord with claim 1, therein characterized, in that the holding apparatus (32) affixes the mirror support structure against the base plate (4) by shape fit.
 3. A fastening apparatus in accord with claim 2, therein characterized, in that the holding apparatus (32) possesses an assembly (34) which can be placed on base plate (4) and protrudes therefrom and upon which assembly (34) the mirror support structure (6) can be suspended.
 4. A fastening apparatus in accord with claim 2, therein characterized, in that the holding apparatus (32) possesses an assembly (34) which can be placed on the mirror support structure (6) and protrudes therefrom and which assembly (34) is suspendable from the base plate (4).
 5. A fastening apparatus in accord with claim 3, therein characterized, in that the assembly (34) exhibits a hollow cylindrical body (36) and a flange (38) radially projecting therefrom, and that the mirror support structure (6) has an accepting opening (28) into which the cylindrical body (36) of the assembly (34) is receivable and which said support structure (6) possesses a recess (44) for the affixation of the flange (38).
 6. A fastening apparatus in accord with claim 4 therein characterized, in that the assembly (34) possesses a hollow cylindrical body (36) and an end located flange (38) radially extending therefrom, and the base plate (4) exhibits an accepting opening (28) into which the cylindrical body (36) of the assembly (34) is receivable and which possesses a cutout 30 for the affixation of the flange (38).
 7. A fastening apparatus in accord with the claims 5 or 6, therein characterized, in that the flange (38) in its circumferential zone, is limited to a circumferential extent of less than 180° and that the recess (44) in its respective extent is likewise limited to a circumferential extent of less than 180°.
 8. A fastening apparatus in accord with one of the claims 1 to 7, therein characterized, in that the base plate (4) exhibits a tapped boring (24), by means of which the hollow cylindrical body (36) is so disposed, that its longitudinal center axis coincides with that of the said tapped boring (24) and that the mirror support structure (6) possesses a through-opening (22), the longitudinal center axis of which, when the said the mirror support structure (6) is suspended from the assembly (34), aligns with that of the holding apparatus body (36) and the said tapped boring (24).
 9. A fastening apparatus in accord with claim 8, therein characterized, in that through the boring (22) and through the hollow cylindrical body (36) a fastening threaded bolt is insertable and is threadedly engaged in tapped boring 24 of the base plate (4).
 10. A fastening apparatus in accord with one of the claims 1 to 8, therein characterized, in that the hollow cylindrical body (36) can be screwed into the base plate (4) or in the mirror support structure (6), wherein then, the mirror support structure (6) or the base plate (4) possesses a receiving opening and wherein on the hollow cylindrical body (36) an outer threading is made. 